Why Gyms Have Shifted Their Focus to Wellness & Recovery

You know what they say – exercise is medicine. So then, if exercise is an endorphin-loaded natural remedy, then recovery is the means of embracing all the great benefits from that medicine.

Recovery has been a buzz word in the health and fitness industry, gaining more and more prevalence over the last five years. With each year recovery has been gaining traction, there has been a surge in health clubs and gyms alike incorporating innovative wellness and recovery tools for their members and guests.

Health clubs have recognised that more and more people of all demographics and physical needs are looking to add preventative wellness extras to their routines, and why wouldn’t they? A water-bed hydromassage to finish my workout? Sign me up!

It is an unfortunate (but true, nevertheless) point that we must first stress the body before we can fuel positive change. However, the only pathway to achieving those results is through recovery from our bodies stresses. Here is where we meet that paradox you always hear from the fitness industry, that exercise itself is bodily stress that stimulates positivity, relief, and regeneration. It’s the one and only “good” stress - demonstrating the critical importance of dedicating ourselves and our bodies to this exercise-recovery balance, just as much as we do to a treadmill or a Pilates class.

Aside from these logical and textbook scientific reasons for recovery, it also just feels fantastic. The activities in designed recovery systems fully allow you to indulge in needed “feel good” endorphins, plus they also support psychological restoration from stress. Moreover, you can find a recovery strategy that fits into your desires and lifestyle, allowing you to choose what benefits you the most.

You can select from simple to complex stretching, breathing, massage, meditation, nutrition, hydrotherapy, ice-baths, saunas – all the way up to cryotherapy or isolation tanks and more. Each strategy stimulates different effects and outcomes, allowing your recovery to be a domain of your selective decision making. Like a menu for your body, you’ll have to try one of each to find your favourite.

At Planet Fitness, we have invested in adding an entire Spa zone to each of our clubs to offer unique recovery options and bring a little extra rejuvenation to our member’s fitness journeys.

You’ll find the Spa’s fitted out with massage chairs, infra-red saunas and luxurious hydro-massage lounges, and all just a doorway away from the main gym floor.

The Spa’s showstopper is by far the hydro-massage lounges, which provide a 10-minute full-body experience to loosen and restore nutrients to muscles, increase oxygen and blood flow into the muscles, and remove lactic acid build-up for soreness prevention. Even better, the hydro-massage lounges do not require clothing removal, and are fully customisable for each member’s needs, with adjustments available for speed, intensity and massage location. The beauty in allowing the members to have full adjustment control shines in the array of hydro-massage benefits – from improved blood circulation and better lymphatic drainage to diminished pain and fast-tracked rehabilitation. Scott Hopson, Board Member to Power Plate, says of these benefits “Individually, these outcomes are impressive. Combined, they are a game-changer.”

In the fitness world, the words “game-changer” ring loud and clear, and the ripples of the impact of recovery are catching on. So, if you find yourself wondering what the last element in your exercise regime is, look no further than the key to reaping the rewards of your hard work, and step into one of our Planet Fitness Spa’s, available at Lambton, Belmont and Charlestown.